| Recently I lost 23 pounds. It happened over a period of | | | | our lives. |
| 4 months; not very fast as you can see. I lost about 1.5 | | | | Before you say, "Whoa Charli, forget it; no can do," and |
| pounds a week. When I began my quest it was not a | | | | jump off the proverbial band wagon, let's rethink a few |
| diet per se. I just made a decision that I wanted to | | | | things. The greatest thing we have going for us is the |
| secure a healthier lifestyle. | | | | fact that we have the desire to change, the fact that |
| As I look back, I can see that I had gained the excess | | | | we made a change, and the fact that we want to |
| weight at a rate of one or two pounds a year. This is | | | | make that change permanent. However, we must |
| where so many of our weight problems lie. We are | | | | accept the fact that we are going to fail many times, |
| not as aware of things that happen very slowly in our | | | | but that does not have to be the end of the story. |
| lives, as we would be if it were to happen to us | | | | I try to give myself a 3 pound buffer zone. A 3 pound |
| quickly. | | | | weight gain means that I have gained 1 pound. A 1-2 |
| I could offer you many reasons for how the weight | | | | pound gain can be fluids, but a third pound usually |
| gain came and they would all be good. Many would | | | | signifies true weight gain. [Of course our size and |
| say that is just what happens when we age. But the | | | | health condition has a great affect on the fluid factor.] |
| truth is that we allow it to happen as we age. For | | | | I try to get back on the horse that threw me as fast |
| some strange reason aging is a legitimate reason for | | | | as I can. I don't beat myself up for a bit of food |
| everything we once thought unacceptable and | | | | indulgence, I just know that all excess food will have to |
| important, to become acceptable and unimportant. | | | | be accounted for and quickly! If we linger too long with |
| When the truth is we use it as an excuse to resist | | | | those few extra pounds, our psyche can become |
| change. | | | | discouraged or depressed due to our feeling of failure. |
| I just came home from visiting my children. Yes, they | | | | This is the most important thing of all. We are what |
| are wonderful cooks! The food is delicious and with | | | | we think we are! |
| children it is three meals a day. When I was preparing | | | | We must look at our small weight gain as very |
| for the visit I began to think about this as I had been | | | | controllable and begin attending to it immediately. If we |
| maintaining my desired weight for about a month. | | | | do, we will not linger in the valley of low self-esteem. It |
| During the weight loss journey we have more will | | | | is expedient that we take the next step up the path of |
| power to be strong as we are working toward a goal; | | | | self-confidence and lose those few pounds. The more |
| a set number. After that number arrives we have a | | | | times this process happens, and it will happen many |
| tendency to relax and think; great I made it, now I can | | | | times in our lives, the more we realize that we can win |
| eat again. This is not a conscious action, but a | | | | this game. That it is something that we can integrate |
| subliminal thought process. This is when the true test | | | | into our daily lives. It is an area where we can maintain |
| begins. | | | | balance and self-control. As we learn to conquer our |
| There is no "secret formula" that works over the long | | | | small weight gains, then we will never have to face the |
| haul. It takes more desire and discipline to keep weight | | | | juggernaut of excess baggage again! Losing those |
| off than it does to loose it. The reason we usually fail | | | | extra 2-3 pounds will become the normal thing to do. |
| is that we encounter the "healthy lifestyle buster," and | | | | When this little "weight loss tip" becomes automatic, |
| that is the revelation that our weight control has no | | | | we will have reached the summit on the mountain of |
| end. It must be maintained and that requires a change | | | | weight control. Most people think that reaching the |
| in our lifestyle choices. We realize that it is up to us to | | | | peak of Mt. Everest is the greatest adventure of all. If |
| make the right food choices everyday for the rest of | | | | they only knew! |